​You know December is here when the Christmas tree arrives!! As in the past, the Kiwanis and Lowes Creek Tree Farm donated another beautiful Christmas tree to CDC that was displayed in the cafeteria for everyone to enjoy. Many thanks to the Kiwanis and Lowes Creek Tree Farm!

​Each year the Kiwanis Key Club helps wrap our Christmas presents that we distribute to our staff and board members. This year there were approximately 24 students working together diligently to get the 250 presents wrapped in a timely manner. After all that wrapping, there is pizza and soda to be enjoyed. Thank you, Key Club Members, we truly appreciate all your help!

​December was a fun month for independent learning and exploring seasonal jobs. This month we went to a few local thrift stores and practiced putting outfits together for different jobs and interviews. We went to Menards and completed a scavenger hunt as we learned about their different departments. Then we went to the Oakwood Mall and learned about seasonal/temporary jobs and the pros and cons of short-term employment. We will continue to focus on building job skills while practicing job searching options in-person and on-line.

​The highlight of December is the Annual Christmas Party and Appreciation Dinner!! The fun begins with rides in the Limo party bus and continues with bingo, pictures at the photo booth, pictures with Santa, singing with the Madrigals and a fabulous meal with live music played by students from CollECtive Arts Center. It was a fun filled evening with lots of laughs!

Seventeen employees were recognized for their years of service, with three employees being honored for thirty years! Thank you!! Your dedication and hard work are truly appreciated!! 

Everyone was eager to shop for Christmas presents for themselves and their families at the Annual Holiday Shoppe! This year’s Shoppe was filled with lunch bags, travel mugs, health and beauty products, jewelry, and much more! Merry Christmas everyone!

​November was a great month to show flexibility and adapting to changes. Everyone in class has done a great job trying new tasks, giving back to our community, and learning how to work as a team. This month we volunteered at Beaver Creek Reserve. We helped cleaned and set up a winter gear rental area. We also toured Festival Foods on Birch Street. We will continue to volunteer and tour more local business during the upcoming holiday season.

We had five entries for the fourth annual Prestige Art & Community Contest. Participating artists are asked to create a piece of artwork inspired by a Chippewa Valley charity or organization. The three artists with the most votes will be announced on November 12. Voting will take place from November 1 to November 9. Wishing all the best to our very own artist, Anya, Carter, Donnie, Gayle, and Paul!

There is a celebrity amongst us! Natalie, Print Shop Supervisor, participated in the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre production of the Beauty and The Beast.  Natalie played an important role as one of the Villagers of Villenenve, a small French town which was the main setting of the story. Natalie’s performance was captivating!

October was a great month for learning about ourselves and setting personal goals. Everyone in class has done a great job asking questions and being respectful on tours. In October we had the opportunity to tour Great Lakes Fastener which showed us the manufacturing industry through packaging and assembly; Target showed us the inner workings of a familiar big-box department store; and L.E. Phillips Public Library showed us the abundance of resources available at our local public library. We learned about books, homegood rentals and classes that are available at the library. For the upcoming holiday season, we will focus on volunteering opportunities.

​On Saturday, October 12th, Northwestern Wisconsin Regional Bowling Tournament was held at Wagner’s Lanes & The Complexx.  Several staff members participated with hopes of advancing on to the State Bowling Tournament in Wausau. Picture is Donnie who came in Second place and Nancy who came in first place! Congratulations to all our Bowlers!

​L.E. Phillips Career Development Center was one of the finalists for the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Resilient Business of the Year Award. The other finalists included Oakleaf Medical Network and Wendel. This honor recognizes businesses that have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and perseverance, thriving in challenging times. The winner, Oakleaf Medical Network, was announced at the Bravo to Business Event on October 23. Although we did not win, it was a great honor to be one of the finalists! Congratulations Oakleaf Medical Center!

With hauntingly festive spirit, twinkling lights and laughter bright, let the workplace echo with the sounds of joy!! And it did during our Halloween celebration. Costumes were worn, games were played and plenty of time to eat, drink and be scary! A menu of monster gunk, goblin fingers, ghostly bread, ghoulish cake and vampire blood was enjoyed by all! Everyone that dressed-up received a 3-D Halloween trinket!

​September was a great month of learning and breaking the ice with a new class! In September, we toured Woodman’s Food Market;  First Choice Recycling where we learned the importance of reusing and recycling electronic equipment; Metropolis Resort (Action City & Chaos Waterpark) where we learned about the customer service industry through housekeeping, utility management and entertainment; and  Micon 7 Theaters  where we learned about the entertainment industry, ticket sales, concessions,  and had the opportunity to see the projector room!  Everyone has grown a lot this month and can’t wait to search for more career opportunities in the Chippewa Valley!

a​On September 16 we celebrated Mexican and Central American Independence Day with a free lunch cooked by one of our own Supervisors, Sara and her husband, Luis.  They cooked a delicious meal of Carne asada, a combination of flavorful marinade, grilling technique and cut of meat resulting in a tender, flavorful and satisfying dish, making today extra special for our Hispanic community!!  It commemorates the date when Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico declared their independence.

The 35th Annual Charity Golf Outing was held on Friday, August 4, 2024, at Hickory Hills Golf Course. Oh my! What a wonderful day!! The weather was nice and warm with the sun shining bright, our hosts, John and Megan were fabulous as usually, but most of all everyone in attendance had a great time enjoying good food, beverages, and camaraderie with family, friends and community members. A hugh “Thank you” goes out to Scheels as our Title Sponsor, Group Health as our Gift Sponsor and the other 100+ business who purchased a sponsorship, the 98+ business that donated to our silent auction and the 346 golfers who helped make this event a Hugh success. A special “Thank You” goes out to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make sure everyone attending had a great time.

Every year the CDC family enjoys celebrating Gregg’s Birthday! To celebrate his birthday there were cupcakes, singing of “Happy Birthday” and Teria made a fabulous birthday card signed by all. Happy Birthday, Gregg!

The Chippewa Valley Counsel Boy Scouts of American 14th Annual Clay Shoot for Scouting was held at the Eau Claire Rod and Gun Club on August 22, 2024. Only one team participated this year since the shoot was on the same day as the Summer Bash. Everyone had a great time showing off their shooting skills!

​We were once again honored to have Chris Kroeze perform at this year’s summer bash. A beautiful summer afternoon with good food and entertainment! The highlights of the afternoon were when Carter sang “Don’t Stop Believing” and Chris Naughton playing guitar alongside of Chris for a couple of songs! Both Carter and Chris did a great job! The afternoon ended with autographs and pictures! Thank you, Chris, for another wonderful afternoon!

​I wrote a letter to Marc Brown over a month ago. I was originally goanna get prepared to do an interview and ask five questions with him, but my mom thought he would be busy with a book signing event this summer. So, I wrote my five questions down, also wrote my autobiography story to him and sent the letter. I got a letter back from him on a sample of the end papers of one of his books. It was nice of him to write back. The coolest thing I found out, that I didn't know was what he wrote in a cloud he drew, I just didn’t know the voice of Filipa from Hop, Charlotte Walker, and I have something in common, we are both autistic, and we both have dreams. She wants to be an animator, I wanna be a children’s author and illustrator. Now, I’m wondering if someday we can have Charlotte Walker as a guest speaker at CDC for Autism Awareness month. That would be cool! I hope to have my Good Luck Party at my house in August, and become a Children’s Author and Illustrator, like my idol, the creator of Arthur, Marc Brown.

​A shout out to Donnie A. who was all decked out in the red, white and blue as Uncle Sam in honor of Independence Day! Happy Independence Day, everyone!

​Did you know that the Career Development Center has interns? We love to have college students join our team and create, organize, and utilize their knowledge to make positive CHANGE! With the help of Paul Zank, Maintenance Supervisor, Devyn Christoph-Watters worked hard to repurpose an automated bed building machine that was not being used in our woodshop, to become an automated product-bagger machine utilized in our Briefs department! Way to go Devyn!

​Congratulations go to Jolene R. for getting a new job in the community! Jolene worked at L.E. Phillips Career Development center for one year, through our Prevocational Services, where she gained a variety of useful skills and work habits that prepared her for future employment opportunities. She stated that she has learned to “stay professional while on the job.” Her advice is, “focus on yourself and your work; and everything else will take care of itself.” We wish her all the best.
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​Congratulations to Lon F., who recently celebrated his retirement! Lon worked at CDC for 47 years!! Over the years, Lon was our forklift driver and worked in the woodshop. Thank you, Lon, for all your hard work and years of dedication! Thank you for being a wonderful colleague and friend! Wish you all the best in your well-deserved retirement!

​A few staff and family members participated in the 30th Anniversary RCU Foundation Charity Classic Run/Walk, Rock the Riverfront on Saturday, June 22, 2024. The recipients of this year’s event were Chippewa County, Eau Claire County, and Dunn County Humane Associations.

​Another day of fun was enjoyed by all at the annual Express Appreciation Day on June 27, 2024!! Staff was excited to have players and Trax join us for lunch and then a beautiful evening watching the Express team beat Wausau Woodchucks 4-2. What’s a ballgame without a hot dog, all staff members and family in attendance received a free hot dog and drink!

Congratulations to Donnie A., Gayle B., Kent K., Sara R., and Jane S. for throwing out the first pitch!  Great job team!

The theme for Bowling for Kid's Sake was "Holiday Extravaganza".  Independence Day was our holiday with everyone wearing "Celebration" shirts provided by CDC.  There were approximately 38 individuals attending which included 12 bowlers and 26 cheerleaders.  Everyone had a great time, bowling, eating, dancing with lots of laughs!! We look forward to next year! 

Since 2009, we have partnered with UWEC Advance Sales Class to assist in obtaining sponsorships and silent auction items for our Annual Charity Golf Outing. This year, the two classes surpassed their fundraising goal and set a school record by raising more than $57,000. As stated by Dr. Lenita Davis, Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management and Executive Director of the Professional Sales Program, “we are immensely proud of our students for their exceptional dedication and hard work in organizing this year’s L.E. Phillips CDC Golf Tournament. Their commitment to making a positive impact in our community is truly commendable, and we are thrilled to see their efforts culminate in such a significant contribution to the L.E. Phillips CDC”. We are very grateful for the advance sales classes raising more than $700,000 over the past 15 years.

Jennifer Barrett and Karri Pitsavas from L.E. Phillips Career Development Center Chippewa Outreach Office received the “2024 Community Impact Basic Needs Award” from United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley at the Chippewa Valley Spirit Awards Banquet on April 4, 2024. Jennifer and Karri were honored to receive the award for their continuous commitment to make sure Chippewa Valley residents have access to food, shelter and medical services in their time of need. As Jennifer stated “We have worked hard over the last 5 years to get our name out there and to help our community. It’s been a long road, and some days are really tough, but this show of appreciation has me full of gratitude!!
                               Congratulations Jennifer and Karri!!

The month of April was a great one for The Community-Based class. We spent a couple of days in class working on our resumes and playing Kahoot with a twist! During those class periods, we had a guest speaker, Nate from UW-Stout. Nate helped us with our resumes and answered our job-related questions. We also had a couple of exciting tours at Kwik Trip in Altoona and Kohl’s. Both were very informative and helped us learn more about searching for jobs. The highlight of our month was a tour of Costco. Costco is relatively new to the Chippewa Valley and the community-based class finally got our taste of it. It was a phenomenal tour showing us the ins and outs of why Costco is successful. The General Manager and the assistant GM answered all of our questions with great detail. Our class had a very productive month, and it is shown in the classroom as we continue to grow and learn.

A huge Thank you goes out to the Eau Claire Fire Department for assisting us with our annual fire drill on April 18, 2024. We are happy to announce that we received positive feedback. The facility was fully evacuated in less than 2 1/2 minutes and our Equipment meets and exceeds all the required safety standards.

At the April Board meeting, Dawn Yarrington from Clifton, Larson & Allen presented Gregg with a check in the amount of $15,000 for the purchase of a new RICOMA printer. A RICOM printer is a combination printer that allows Direct to Garment (DTG) or Direct to Film (DTF) printing. It allows more flexibility in terms of the number of colors utilized and is more efficient for small orders. The DTF component allows us to produce transfer images to use in house as well as to sell to customers. The RICOMA printer is user friendly, requiring less manual labor, and less physically demanding for our staff. It will be a positive addition to the Print Shop Thank you Clifton, Larson & Allen, your support is greatly appreciated!!!

Nearly 900 Athletes competed at the 2024 Spring Games State Tournament at UW Oshkosh the weekend of April 12-14. The spring competition includes 3 on 3 Basketball, Team Basketball, Basketball Skills and Swimming. Three of our own competed at this year's State Games, Kent Kohlhepp and Nate Stygar in Team Basketball and Sara Fellenz in Basketball skills. Not only did they compete, but they also got to enjoy a number of events throughout the weekend including a flashback gear for the 90s themed Victory Dance on Saturday.

The competition for Basketball skills (dribbling, shooting and throwing) began Friday evening after the opening ceremony. Sara, who has been competing in the Basketball skills for the past few years, finally took home the Gold!! Way to go Sara!! Sara stated that she had a great time and enjoyed “meeting new people, watching all the other players, and being away from home”.

Approximately 50 teams competed in a round robin tournament play in the Team Basketball competition on Saturday and Sunday. Kent Kohlhepp and the Eau Claire Wolverines coached by Keri and Christopher, lost their first game to the Dream Team with a score of 16-8, but went on to win their next two games against the Tigers 32-30 and the Crusaders 32-11, winning the Silver in their Division!! Awesome job Kent and the Wolverines!! This is the first time to state for Kent with this team and he stated that he had “a good time!”

Nate Stygar and his team the Bucks coached by Roger and Barry, played some tough competition against the Barron County Yukons, Bobcats, and the Green Giants. The Bucks also won two games and lost one winning the Silver in their Division!! Way to go Nate and the Bucks!! Nate who has participated at the State games twice prior, stated that “the tournament was fun, but the competition was hard!”

Several area residents spent an evening of fun and dance at the Eau Claire Parks and Recreation Par-Te-Rec annual Winter Prom on Thursday, April 24th. Sarah Rindal, Linda Sorenson, Donny Archer, John Faust, Sara Fellenz, and Jake Janssen were a few that attended and enjoyed the “groovy” themed prom. The evening was very special for Sara Fellenz for she received the honor of being Prom Queen!! Congratulations Sara!
                                      “What a groovy evening it was!!”

An Autistic Guy with a Special Creative Dream 
An Autobiography by Carter Lage

There once was a guy named Carter Lage, he is an autistic guy, and he has a dream. He wants to become a Children’s Author and Illustrator like his idol, who is the creator of the Arthur books and television show, Marc Brown. He grew up watching his favorite show and reading books when he was a kid, and he also likes writing and drawing when he was a kid. He wants to create a book series that is like a homage to Arthur, because the characters in Arthur have fun times and sometimes problem solving, so Carter wants to make a book series about a monkey named after him, as characters would do the same things Arthur and his friends did, but at age 13. Some of Carter’s friends and family members would say things like, “You can’t be plagiarizing Marc Brown’s ideas”. “You can’t have characters be named after a lot of people you know, but just a fair amount”. “Hopefully, you know what you are doing when you get your books self-published.” or “I know you’ll eventually become a children’s author and illustrator”. Even Marc Brown would tell him to believe in yourself, because that's the place to start. Well for all the things Carter wants to do, he’s going to try to do what he really likes to do. He wrote his manuscript and made illustrations for his first children’s book, now he’s got to get it self-published. He would say to himself, “There’s life in you that your gotta get through”. Who knows? His first book and special creative dream job might become successful and special. That’s the story about Carter Lage and his special creative dream job to become a children’s author and illustrator.

Congratulations Ryan!

Forklift Experience 101

Wisconsin Special Olympics Spring Season 

Easter Fun